Storage-tank emergency valve



Feb. 23 1926.

V. M. HENRIETTA ET AL STORAGE TANK EMERGENCY VALVE Filed Feb 24, 1925 E63 .flgIZENTORfi y Awa /w Wi ATTORNEY.

lse caused by earthquakes,

Patented Feb. 23, 1926 9 j ell UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

VINCEN T M. HENRIETTA AND BRQNSON B. TELLEY, OF SAN FRANCISCO,CALIFORNIA.

STORAGE-TANK EMERGENCY VALVE.

Application filed February 24, 1925.

T 0 all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that we, VINCENT M. HEN- RIETTA and BRONSON B. TELLEY, bothcitizens of the United States, and residing at San Francisco, in thecounty of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certainnew and. useful Improvements in Storage-Tank Emergency Valves, of whichthe following is a specification.

Our invention relates in general to valves, and has particular referenceto an emergency valve for oil storage tanks.

As now practiced, storage tanks for combustible liquids are equippedwith a pipe line from the tank and with a gate valve positioned in thepipe line near the tank, so that the latter can be shut off from thepipe line when desired and especially at night, to eliminate Firehazards as far as possible, and oil losses due-to pipe line breaks thatmay explosions or otherwise. This valve serves its purpose to a certainextent, yet it is inadequate for all emergencies and among which mightbe mentioned the dang-er incident to turning the same oil with a fire inthe vicinity of the tank. The purpose of our invention is to fortify, soto speak, this valve so that its usefulness need not be dispensed with,and at the same time provide means for assuring a positive safetyagainst fire and other hazards which can not be accomplished by relyingon the present valve alone.

In the accompaying sheet of drawings, we have illustrated an applicationof our improved emergency valve in combination with the above mentionedtank and gate valve.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a vertical section of a portion of astorage tank equipped with our invention; Fig. view of our valvearrangement; Fig. 3 is a view of the valve arrangement in side elevationand partly in section; and F f is a cross-section of the-valve on theline l l of Fig. 3.

'Referring now to the drawings in detail: The letter A represents thestorage tank and B the base or foundation for the same.

The pipe from the tank is shown at C and the same extends through theside of the tank at the bottom thereof, and with the usual nipple andflange assembly connection The inner end of the pipe is turned up by anelbow E, and is equipped with the valve cage 5 of our emergency device.F represents the customary gate valve above is a top Serial No. 11,164.

referred to. This valve is located on the pipe outside of the tank, andsince it cmbodies the usual structure for valves of this type it needsno specific mention as to details of construction.

The primary object of our invention is to equip the tank with aninternal valve that may be automatically operated to close through themedium of a fusible element when fire is in the vicinity of the tank.lVith this object in view, we propose to suspend the valve 6 above itsseat 7, by the nonr-orroding cable 8 which in turn is anchoredexternally of the tank as at 9. The portion of the cable on the outsideof the tank is equipped with one or more fusible elements 10 which areadapted to fuse and part the cable to release the valve to its seat, andthus automatically cut off the pipe with respect to the contents of thetank.

The valve cage 5 comprises a pair positcly disposed standards 11 and12., the lower extremities of which are formed integral with the seat 7and a threaded extension 13 adapted for threaded engagement with theupturned elbow E of the pipe 0. These standards 11 and 12 are joined attheir upper ends by a pair of transverse bars 14 with bolts 15 makingthe connection. The inside surface of the standards provide tracks orguides 19 for the radial cars 16 and 17 carried by the valve (3. Theseears guide the valve to its seat from its suspended position as shown inFigures 1 and 3. The transverse bars 14: limit the upward travel of thevalve 6, and together with the tracks or guides practically confine thevalve in the cage The valve made heavy enough to properly function whenreleased.

Thre ded or otherwise attached to the top of the valve, is a bolt or thelike 20 having an eve for attaching the cud of the cable The cablecntends over a pulley of op travel of the cable through the same. Theblock 26 should always be fixed to the cable to leave a greater lengthbetween it and the tank than that of the length of the tall ot thevalve. 1

As pipe lines are subject to expansion, we protect the same fromexcessive pressures therein by the provision of a so called overshotpipe or relief tube 27', which should be connected to the pipe C infront of the valve F, and with its opposite end terminatinginside of thetank top as. at 28 and which end should always be open. 7

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, the advantages of the construction and method of operationwill be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which theinvention appertains, and while we have described the principle o'toperation, together with the device which we now consider to be the-bestembodiment thercot, we desire to have it understood that the deviceshown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made, whendesired, as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent oi the United States, is the following I 1. Incombination, a storage'tank, a pipe beginning interiorly and terminatingexteriorly of the'sa ne, a valve on the pipe within the tank, athermo-control exteriorly of the tank for closing the said valve, saidpipe also having a manually operable valve cxteriorly of the tank, and arelief tube connecting with the pipe in advance of the manually operablevalve and the top of the tank.

2, In combination, a storage tank, a pipe leading into the tank near thebottom thereof and terminating therein in an upturned end, a valve cagemounted on said upturned end, a'seat at the base of the cage, a valve insaid cage, means for suspending the valve above its seat, athermo-control on the out- .ide of the tank for releasing the valve toits seat, said pipe also having a manually operable valve exteriorly ofthe tank, and a relief tube connecting with the pipe in advance of themanually operable valve and the top of the tank.

3. In a storage tank of the class described, a pipe extending into thetank near the bottom thereof, the extremity of the pipe within the tankbeingturned up, a valve cage threaded to said upturned extremity, avalve seat at the base of said cage, a valve mounted to freely slidevertically within said cage, means for suspending the valve above theseat comprising a cable attach at one end to the valve and with its opend'terininating exteriorly of the mud anchored to hold the valve s1.and a fusible element formed as a part of the cable exterior to the tankand which element when fused will release the valve to its seat.

i. In a storage tank of the class described, a pipe extending into thetank near the bottom thereof, the extremity of the pipe with in the tankbeing turned up, a valve cage threaded to said upturned extremity, avalve seat at the base ot said cage, a valve mounted to freely slidevertically within said cage, means for suspending the valve above theseat comprising a cable attached at one end to the valve and with itsopposite end terminating exterior-1y of the tank and anchored to holdthe valve suspended, and a fusibleelement formed as a partoi the cableexterior to the tank and which element when fused will release the valveto its seat, said pipe also having a manually operable valve exteriorlyof the tank.

5. In a storage tank of the class described, a pipe extending into thetank near the bot tom thereof, the extremity or the'pipe within the tankbeing turned up, a valve cage threaded to said upturned extremity, valveseat at the base of said cage, a valve mounted to freely slidevertically within said cage, means for suspending; the valve above theseat comprising a cable attached at one'end to the valve and with itsopposite end terminating exteriorly of the tank and anchored to hold thevalve suspended, a fusible element formed as a part of the cableexterior to the tank and which element when fused will release the valveto its seat, said pipe also having a manually operable valve exteri'orlyof the tank, and a relief tube core necting with the pipe in advance oithe manually operable valve and the top ot the tank, v

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

VINCENT M. HENRIETTA. BRONSON B. TELLEY.

